


Hello

by nightlight9



Category: Teen Wolf (TV)
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2015-11-30
Updated: 2015-11-30
Packaged: 2018-05-04 03:42:37
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 9,725
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/5319134
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/nightlight9/pseuds/nightlight9
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>Stiles calls Derek's cellphone years after having no contact, leaving voicemails for the werewolf though there is never a reply. Then when the number becomes disconnected, Stiles has to venture back to the home that they had build together before he left in order to find out what has happened to the man he loved. The answer is not what he expects, and it makes him evaluate what he left behind.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Hello

**Author's Note:**

> This was inspired by the Adele song "Hello."

_“Hello, you’ve reached Derek Hale! Leave a message and I’ll call you back.”_

Stiles sighs and hangs up, ignoring the beep. He thought that Derek would pick up, thought that after all these years they might be okay again. He guesses that he deserves the dial tone. When he had left Derek and the life they had built together, he had had every intention of going back. But then so many things had happened and before he knew it, it had been four years and well-. Derek never came after him either. He had just let him go without putting up a fight. Still, Stiles knows that he deserves being ignored. 

He puts his phone away.

\----------

_“Hello, you’ve reached Derek Hale! Leave a message and I’ll call you back.”_

This time the message makes Stiles angry. He’s drunk and this is the sixth time he’s called the werewolf only to be ignored. 

“Well hello there, Mr. Hale. It’s Stiles. Remember me?” His voice is a harsh slur, all edge. “Let me help you out by giving you some hints: it’s been a few years since we’ve talked. You used to call me an annoying brat then later called me ‘my love.’ Ha yeah, and you let me walk out of your life and you didn’t say anything. Remember that? How you just sat there and let me leave you? Remember.” He scoffs, “Whatever, you can’t even pick up the phone when I call. I guess me leaving didn’t tear you apart at all.” When he hangs up, Stiles throws the phone across the bedroom and shouts in frustration.

In the morning, when his head pounds out his punishment for drinking so much, he’ll regret the message (what he can remember of it anyway). He’ll worry about his words hurting Derek, worry that he’ll block the number, worry about calling back and apologizing. But all drunk Stiles cares about is sleep.

\----------

_“Hello, you’ve reached Derek Hale! Leave a message and I’ll call you back.”_

“Hey.” Stiles is curled into his blankets, phone pressed to his ear almost desperately though he keeps his voice soft. It’s almost three in the morning but when a nightmare shook Stiles awake the first person he thought to call was Derek. “It’s me. I know it’s late but I just-. I had a nightmare and I woke up thinking about how you used to make me hot chocolate when it happened and then let me listen to your heartbeat while you hummed me back to sleep and-. God, Derek, I’m so sorry. For everything. For breaking your heart like I did. I know that it doesn’t change anything, but I was planning on going back, on going back home to you.”

He’s crying now, choking on his confession, residual panic making his blood hum. “I hadn’t meant to leave you for good. I just wanted some space to think about everything. And shit, Derek, I don’t know what I’m doing anymore. I’m back in California, staying with my dad and Melissa. I was going to stay with Scott, but Kira’s pregnant and I didn’t want to barge into their lives like that, you know? It’s like, I’ve made a big enough mess with yours, I don’t need to do it to anyone else. I should get my own place because I think I’m going to stay in Beacon Hills now, but-. Well, I had always dreamed that you and I would come back here together to rebuild the Hale house, and now I can’t bring myself to do this without you.

“I know that I was the one that left. And I know that it’s been four years and you’ve probably found someone to settle down with who won’t break your heart. I bet you have a beautiful wife or a handsome husband and that you’re happy, and that’s great. I’m happy for you. I don’t want to mess anything else up. But please, can you just call me back. Even if it’s just to tell me to leave you alone. Please. I need-. I just want to hear your voice again and know that you’re okay. Please, Derek.”

He can’t talk anymore so he hangs up, sobbing into his pillow. He curls into the fetal position and tries to fight away the panic in his heart.

\----------

_“Hello, you’ve reached Derek Hale! Leave a message and I’ll call you back.”_

“Oh my God, guess what I just bought. You’ll never guess!” It’s been over two months since Stiles made that first phone call, almost one month since his nightmare, and now every few days he’ll leave a message updating Derek on random day to day activities. Derek never calls him back, but just being able to chat at his answering machine helps to keep the panic at bay. He knows it’s unhealthy (Scott and his dad have told him this countless times) but he can’t seem to help it.

“A dog! I know, it seems like a big commitment but when I saw the little guy I couldn’t resist. You know that I’ve always been impulsive. His name is Kojo – cute right – and I love him so much. I swear he makes my dad a proud grandfather. Or well, a prouder one, since Alex is his first grandchild. God, that little girl is adorable. I bet you would adore her. She looks more like Kira everyday which is good because I love Scott but man does he have a crooked jawline. Well, anyway, I’ll let you go. I’m off to do some grocery shopping. Bye!”

\----------

_“Beep, beep. I’m sorry, the number you’ve dialed has been disconnected.”_

Stiles’ smile freezes. He had been calling Derek to explain the dinner that Scott and him had planned for their parent’s anniversary. Hearing the call error, the whole world tilts. He’s standing in the grocery store, had been about to pick out some bell peppers, but now all that matters is the dial tone. 

He makes the call again, hoping the message changes. _“Beep, beep. I’m sorry the-.”_ Again. _“Beep, beep. I’m sorry the-.”_

“No. No, no, no, no.” He can’t help the feeling that this is more than just Derek being annoyed with him calling. The dial tone feels more permanent and awful.

Stiles makes himself take a few deep breaths, trying not to jump to any conclusions, but his hands are shaking and he’s getting more than a few worried glances. Leaving the cart and all of his groceries, Stiles leaves the store. He needs to talk to Scott.

\----------

Scott and Kira both startle when Stiles barges through the front door. Seeing his best friend’s expression, Scott hands Alex over to her mother and takes Stiles’ arm.

“What’s happened? What’s wrong?” His eyes flash alpha red in concern.

“Can you still feel him?” The question is blunt, panicked. “Can you still feel Derek?”

Scott inhales sharply. Behind him, Kira’s eyes widen. It’s enough of an answer but Stiles barrels on. “Years ago you told us that even though we were so far away you could still feel Derek as a part of your pack. Has that changed?” The house is silent. Even Alex is still. “Scott!”

“It happened about six months ago.” His voice is barely audible, his eyes downcast. “It woke me up one night. I could feel the link snap. When you moved back into town you seemed to be doing a lot better, so I decided not to say anything until I figured out what had happened. I had been planning on going out there, but Kira was pregnant and there never seemed to be a good time. I know that I should have told you, especially when you told me you were calling his phone, but I thought-.”

“I’ll go.” Stiles is shaking. “I’ll go find out what happened to him.”

“Stiles,” Scott whines. “I don’t think-.”

“No, Scott, I need to know.”

He considers that for a moment. “Okay. But I’ll come with you.”

Stiles pulls his arm away and steps back. “No. You need to be here and-.”

Kira pipes up. “We’ll be fine without him for a few days, Stiles.” He looks up at her and she smiles, her eyes watering. Sometimes he forgets how close Derek and her had been before they had left Beacon Hills. “Let Scott do this with you.”

“Besides, Derek was my beta. It’s only right that I be there too.”

Stiles finally accepts the company, knowing that Scott won’t take no for an answer. And besides, it might be good that he isn’t alone, just in case. 

\----------

It takes them a week to get everything planned out. Stiles had been ready to leave as soon as they made their decision, but Scott pointed out that they needed some time to schedule everything before they left. Each night leading up to the trip Stiles called Derek’s phone, hoping more than anything that the message would change. It didn’t and each night he dreamed of all the terrible things that could have happened. 

By the time he’s sitting beside Scott on the plane on the way to the home that he had left, all of Stiles’ hope has diminished. It doesn’t help that Scott’s generally bright personality has dimmed into the serious calm of an alpha. 

Even though he’s shaking by the time they get off the plane, Stiles is the one to get behind the wheel of their rental car to drive them to town, as if it has to be him in control of going back. They don’t talk during the drive. The silence is heavy with the implications of what they might find.

The town is exactly as Stiles remembers it, down to the cars parked at the diner. The stillness of the town had been one of the things that they had argued about the night Stiles left. Driving through the familiar streets, the scene plays itself out.

_There had been a pack a few miles away that had reached out to Derek for help. Their territory was being threatened by a rival pack, and they thought that Derek would be able to help them. Stiles had wanted to rush to their aid. Derek didn’t._

_“You’ve become such a pushover,” Stiles had screamed at him. “What happened to the Derek that wanted to help people?”_

_Derek had rolled his eyes and sighed. “I just don’t think we should get involved. Haven’t we done enough. Don’t we deserve some peace after everything?”_

_“At the expense of other people?”_

_“Stiles, it isn’t our problem to deal with.”_

_“They reached out to you directly for help, for hope. And you just want to ignore that?”_

_“They’re not mine to worry about. They aren’t pack.”_

_Stiles had laughed then, hard and bitter. The sound had made Derek flinch. “That’s right, they’re not your pack. You don’t have one.”_

_Derek made a wounded sound. “Stiles, you know that’s not true. Scott-."_

_“Scott is in Beacon Hills with the rest of the pack! And that’s where we should be too, not here in this town where nothing ever happens. We live in the middle of nowhere, Derek. You moved us away from our family and our home to a town of routine. Nothing ever changes here, and we don’t do anything important.”_

_This argument was familiar. Stiles didn’t like how normal the town was and told Derek that often when they were fighting. “You wanted out too, Stiles. Remember? It’s not like I’m holding you here against your will.”_

_“Yeah, I did. And I moved because I loved you. But now I’m ready to go back home.” He had crossed the room then and taken Derek’s hands, running his thumb across his knuckles. “Please, let’s go help Niall’s pack and then let’s go home.”_

_At the mention of the other pack, Derek pulled his hands away. “It’s a bad idea to go out there.”_

_And just like that, Stiles was angry again. “Who the fuck cares if it’s a bad idea. They’re people that asked for help!”_

_“I’m tired of fighting! Don’t you get that!” Derek exhaled his frustration and lowed his voice. “I’m tired of it. I brought you out here so that we could build a life together away from death and danger. I brought you out here so that we could be safe.”_

_Then Stiles had said, “Yeah, well I didn’t ask you to.” Derek had broken. His face had crumpled, confusion and hurt and despair clouding his expression. And Stiles hadn’t stopped. “You stay here in your boring town with your safe life. I’m leaving. I don’t want your safety anymore.”_

_Stiles had packed one suitcase and left Derek sitting on the couch with his head in his hands, broken, defeated, and alone._

‘Are you okay,” Scott asks, pulling Stiles out of his memories. “Okay, that was a stupid question.” He pauses then asks again, “Are you okay?”

Stiles can’t respond. He’s driven to Derek’s house from muscle memory. But it’s obviously not Derek’s anymore.

A moving truck is parked outside of the small home. It’s being unloaded by a family of four that are laughing and smiling in the summer sun. The flower beds that Stiles and Derek had tended together so carefully are bare mounds of clumped dirt, and the once yellow exterior that Stiles loved has been painted a soft blue. The sight is more than enough to send Stiles into a minor panic attack. He starts up the car again and drives on, trying his best to ignore the pressure in his head. When he’s stopped at the park where he used to go on nightly walks with Derek, Stiles stumbles out of the car, tripping into a small grove of trees. Scott follows him silently.

“That should have been us,” Stiles says finally, falling at the base of the tree where he had carved S + D years ago. Even though he hasn’t talked to Derek in years, the pain of losing him and the guilt of destroying the great thing they had built comes back fresh. “We had talked about having kids. We had even begun trying to find a surrogate.” He’s never told Scott this before. “And then I left and ruined everything. And now-.”

Scott wants to point out that Derek not living in the same place doesn’t necessarily mean that he isn’t living at all. But he doesn’t really believe that and even though Stiles wouldn’t be able to hear his heartbeat skip, he keeps his mouth shut and watches helplessly as his best friend cries.

“Hey, mister?” A small voice asks. Stiles looks up and into the soft blue eyes of a little girl. Her curly blond hair is pulled into pigtails and she looks genuinely concerned. “Why are you crying?”

An older girl, maybe sixteen, rushes over and takes the smaller girl’s hand. Scott tenses and looks between the two girls in surprise.

“Mae, you know you’re not supposed to talk to strangers.” She makes eye contact with Scott, trying to pull the little girl away. “I’m sorry about-.”

The blond, Mae, cuts off the apology. “But he’s not a stranger.” She points. “It’s Mr. Stiles.” Everyone freezes at his name. “I was just trying to see why he was sad” She pulls her hand away from the stunned older girl and moves to Stiles’ side faster than a human could. With all the seriousness a six-year-old can possess she reaches out and touches Stiles’ cheek. “Don’t cry, Mr. Stiles. Momma always said, ‘Don’t be sad. If the sun’s out, then there’s always something to smile about.’ And the sun is out today, so you shouldn’t cry.”

All Stiles can do is stare at the young girl with his mouth hanging open. He doesn’t know how to respond and is too speechless to ask a question.

“Oh hell,” the older girl mutters. “You’re really him, aren’t you?” She tucks a strand of dark hair behind her ear. “Which means that you must be Scott?” He nods. “Don’t mind Mae, she is too young to understand the customs that should be followed when meeting the alpha of another pack.” The girl tilts her head in an act of respectful submission and flashes gold eyes at Scott. “My name is Leanne.” 

“They’re werewolves,” Stiles breathes, watching as Mae plays with his fingers. “And they know Derek.” It’s a statement that confuses him.

“You should probably come with me,” Leanne says, though she looks unsure. “Rylee will want to meet you.” Scott nods when it becomes clear that Stiles isn’t going to make a decision. “Come on Mae, let’s go.”

The young girl pouts. “But I want to stay with Stiles.” She even stomps her little foot.

Leanne just raises her eyebrows. “No. You need to ride with me.”

“Hey,” Stiles murmurs, placing one shaking hand in her wrist. “Don’t worry, Scott and I will follow you guys. Does that sound alright?” Scott marvels over how, even in the face of everything that’s been happening, his best friend is still trying to assure the little girl that everything is just fine. 

Mae narrows her eyes but then breaks into a bright smile. “Yeah, alright. Make sure you follow close, okay. I don’t want you to get lost!”

Stiles offers a watery smile. “No, we wouldn’t want that now would we.” His heart is already beating wildly, so Scott can’t tell if he’s lying or not. Apparently neither can Mae because she just smiles wider and then skips away. Leanne gives them both a tight smile and chases after the younger girl. When they’re gone, Scott turns to ask Stiles if he’s sure about following them, but Stiles is already climbing to his feet. He looks determined but he doesn’t make eye contact so Scott knows that he’s not really okay. When they’re in the car, Stiles back in the driver’s seat, Leanne beacons them to follow her white SUV.

Scott turns to stare at Stiles. “We don’t have to do this, not if you don’t want to.”

He watches as Stiles’ hands tighten on the steering wheel. “Scott, we still don’t know what happened to Derek, and I need to know. This is all surreal, and being back here hurts like Hell, but I need answers.”

Scott nods, not arguing. This is Stiles’ call, not his. He’s just along for moral support. Plus, he’s really curious as to why his link with Derek was severed and how these two girls play into it.

The drive is a short one that leads them to a large property just outside of town. The house they pull up to is painted a soft yellow with a wraparound porch and three stories. 

“Shit,” Stiles breathes as he stops the car. Scott nods in agreement. Three younger boys run past the car, only stopping a moment to look at them before dashing away again. “What the hell?” More people are stepping out onto the porch, watching them with open curiosity and mild distrust. As Scott exits the car, several of the people flash their eyes. More werewolves.

Scott reaches out and pulls Stiles behind him, just barely avoiding pushing him back into the car and driving away. Leanne positions her body between the two groups, holding on to Mae’s hand tightly. A man from the crowd pushes forward. He’s older than both Stiles and Scott, and he looks furious. “What’s the meaning of this, Leanne? Why did you bring these people, this alpha, to our home? Especially when-.”

“It’s Stiles,” Mae shouts at him, her face twisting into her beta form. Pulling away from Leanne, she launches herself at Stiles, who bends to pick her up, holding her close to his chest. The group breaks into whispered conversations. They are all watching Stiles curiously.

Leanne rolls her eyes. “Where’s Rylee?”

Another girl moves to the front of the group. Stiles recognizes her instantly though it’s been four years since he last saw her amongst Niall’s pack. She had been orphaned during the attacks against Niall’s pack. Stiles had saved her life.

“Hello again, Stiles.” Despite her stern expression, her voice is friendly. “Remember me?” All he can do is nod, speechless once again. “Sorry about everyone here, especially Rick.” The older man rubs the back of his neck and shrugs his shoulders, embarrassed. “We’re not the most trusting group of people, especially when other werewolves are involved.” She exposes her neck, flashes beta blue eyes, then smiles. “Come on in. Sorry about the mess, we weren’t expecting any company today.”

Steeling himself, Stiles holds Mae tighter and steps forward. Scott follows closely, holding onto to Stiles elbow just in case he needs to pull him back. The group parts as they walk by. Some of the people expose their throats, some of them flash their eyes. All of them stare openly. 

The inside of the home is furnished nicely. It’s well-lit and feels homey. Rylee leads them to an office in the back of the house, settling down behind a large oak desk and motioning for them to take the seats opposite her. Stiles plops down, his breath catching as he looks around. Framed pictures of him and Derek cover the walls, snapshots of their life together.

When he looks back at Rylee, she’s smiling. “He always knew you’d come back,” she says. Her voice is fond. “A lot of us thought that he was crazy, that he was just holding on to your ghost. But he was adamant that you would return to him. I guess he was right.”

Stiles wants to ask so many things, but he can’t. Black dots dance in his vision. 

Scott sits forward, sensing his friend’s panic attack. “Stiles.”

Mae puts her hands on both of his cheeks and presses them together. “Mr. Stiles, remember what I said? It’s still sunny outside.”

He closes his eyes and takes some deep breaths, focusing on the feeling of her small hands on his cheeks. “Sorry.” He opens his eyes again. “It’s all-.”

“A lot to take in? No need to apologize. I know that this whole situation is pretty overwhelming.” 

“I just-.” He stops and takes another deep breath. He asks the easiest question. “What is this place?”

“Well, everyone here calls it home. It’s a sanctuary for werewolves; our second chance. About a month after you left from helping out my old pack, Derek showed up looking for you. At first Niall was angry because he never came to help, but then Derek explained why and Niall understood. He wanted to help him, but none of us knew where you had gone. While he was staying with the pack, him and I really bonded. When he left I went with him. Eventually we caught a rumor that you were in Florida, so we drove down there to find you.”

Stiles remembers Florida. After helping Niall’s pack, he had met a mage that could sense his spark. He offered him a job and some training and Stiles had accepted. A pack in Florida was having a vampire problem and they went there to help them sort it out. It had been a bloody job. Stiles ended up working for the mage for two years, moving around the country, perfecting his magic, and helping people.

“When Derek saw you out there fighting with those wolves, he shut down. I couldn’t get him to talk to me for nearly two weeks.”

“Wait. Derek was there?” That information sends him reeling. Derek had seen that?

“Yeah.”

Scott prompts her by asking, “Well what happened next?”

“We came back to his house in town for a while, lived normally. Then he started building this place. When I asked him why, he said that he wanted to make you proud. He wanted to do something good, something you’d be pleased with when you came back. Before it was even finished being built he started rescuing wolves from bad situations and abusive packs. A lot of the wolves here were omegas that he brought back from insanity and gave second chances to. He built us a pack. Right now there are twenty-eight of us living here, and everything is running smoothly.

Stiles is stunned and touched and proud. But he’s also so sad; it feels like he’s learning all of this too late.

Rylee’s smile softens. “Hey, why don’t I find you a room so you can rest. You look really tired. We can talk more later, okay?”

Scott smiles back at her. “That’s probably a good idea, thank you.”

She nods and motions for them to follow after her. It’s interesting to see such a young girl with so much confidence and control, especially given how crazy the whole situation is. She leads them to the third floor and opens up a room with two beds. “This should work perfect.” With that, she pulls Mae out of Stiles’ arm, ignoring the younger girl’s protests. “I’ll send someone up when dinner is ready, alright?”

Forcing a smile, Stiles crosses the bedroom and falls face first onto the bed, not moving even when Scott sits down beside him. “You know that we don’t have to stay here,” he reminds him, pitching his voice low even though it probably doesn’t do anything in a house full of werewolves. “We can leave.”

Stiles grunts and shakes his head, a gesture that only Scott would understand. “Okay. Well, just let me know alright. Just say the word and we’re out of here.” He pats his back. “I’m going to call Kira and update her with everything.”

Stiles grunts again and rolls onto his side, staring at the soft green wall without really seeing it. He’s exhausted emotionally and physically, and sleep pulls him under without any fight.

\----------

When Stiles wakes up he doesn’t feel any better. His head pounds and his nose is stuffy. He had been dreaming of Derek, which always makes him feel miserable. Rolling over, he notices that it’s dark outside and Scott is gone. 

Even though he doesn’t want to get up, he pushes his heavy body off the bed, feeling a little better when he stretches and his joints crack. 

Stiles takes his time walking downstairs, pausing to examine the painting and pictures that are hung up, smiling when he finds height measurements chipped into a doorframe, Mae’s name etched beside it.

A woman in her mid-twenties comes out of one of the rooms, smiling at Stiles. “Hello! You’re Stiles, right? You look just like your picture. My name is Lucy.”

He takes her offered hand, making sure his smile is polite. “Nice to meet you.”

The small comment makes her beam. “You too!” She changes the topic, inclining her head at the painting he had stopped to examine. “Do you like it? Corbin painted it.”

“Oh, wow. Yeah, he did a great job.”

She laughs, tilting her head. “He says thank you, and that if you would like to see any of his other work he would be happy to show it to you.”

“Thank you, Corbin,” he says, a genuine smile playing on his lips at the werewolf display.

“Would you like a tour?” The question takes him by surprise and he nods immediately, anxious to see more of Derek’s creation. “Great! Well, as you can tell these are the bedrooms. I live right here-.” She points out other random bedrooms, making sure that she includes Corbin’s in the tour. Derek’s room is the one at the top of the stairs. 

“He picked this one so that everyone would have to pass it on their way to their rooms each night. And so that he was the closet to the front door if anything happened.” Stiles smiles tightly at the comment, ignoring the itch in his hands that makes him want to reach out and open the door.

Lucy pulls him away and shows him the place where a boy named Cole pushed his brother through one of the walls, not that there is any damage. “Derek fixed it up really well,” she informs him, looking fond. Derek is in a lot of her stories. He has built himself into the house’s framework, and even though it hurts hearing the stories, Stiles is glad for them.

Lucy introduces him to everyone that they meet along the way, offering random bits of information about each of them. He finds out that a woman named Sam is pregnant with Rick’s baby and that they’re planning on getting married in the spring. She informs him in a soft voice that Mae’s parents had been killed by hunters and that she was wandering alone until Derek found her and brought her in. A man named Seth has three sons - the boys that had ran past the car when they pulled up – and he is raising them alone with the help of the pack. 

By the time they make it to the living room, Stiles feels like he learned a little something about everyone in the house, which is overwhelming seeing as there are twenty-eight of them. But it’s a good kind of overwhelming, the kind that makes him feel like he’s a part of something big. Everyone he meets is kind to him, and they don’t push for answers even though he knows that they have questions. 

The living room itself looks like the coziest room to ever exist. There are several couches and pillows, beanbags and blankets strewn everywhere. The large TV mounted on the wall is playing a baseball game, and several of the werewolves are watching it, though each of them rise to meet Stiles, smiling at him like he’s someone important.

The dining room, while huge, doesn’t look big enough to hold everyone. Lucy assures him that they all make it work, though sometimes elbows do knock together. The try to have at least one meal a day as a pack. “It was important to Derek that we all have time sat aside to spend together so that we can bond.”

Stiles laughs at that fact. “That sounds like Derek.” Lucy smiles at his comment and his fond tone, then leads him on.

In the kitchen they find Rylee and Scott. Scott beams at his best friend and crosses the room to pull him into a hug while Rylee fetches him a bowl of stew, explaining as she goes that he missed dinner but Scott had thought that sleeping would be better for him. 

“The food is great, dude,” Scott tells him. Stiles hums in agreement, already shoveling a warm spoonful into his mouth. While he eats, Rylee explains the plans that they have to expand the property so that some of the wolves have a place of their own, like Sam and Rick. 

When his bowl is empty Rylee takes it from his hands, telling Lucy, “Take him outside.”

Lucy tilts her head in confusion then her expression clears. “Oh! Right! Come on Stiles, you’ll want to see this.” Scott looks like he wants to follow them, but he holds himself back, instead asking Rylee if he can have some more stew.

The air is still warm. It helps clear the ache in Stiles’ head. When he catches sight of where they’re headed, his eyes start to water. He walks faster. A large flower garden has been planted, bigger than anything they had at their little house. A path of smooth gray stones leads through rows of flowers. Soft lights keep the area lit in the dark so he can make out the wide variety of flowers and plants.

“Beautiful, isn’t it. Derek put a lot of work into building this area up.”

Stiles leaves her side and wanders through the rows, smiling at the assortment flowers. The effect of it all is extraordinary. “Do you mind if I spend some time here,” he asks, not looking away from the garden.

He can hear her smile and pride when she responds, “Oh course. If you need anything, we’re just a holler away.”

As soon as she’s gone, Stiles drops to his knees and starts pulling at the weeds he finds. He expects that the activity will make him feel sad for everything he’s lost, but it doesn’t. He smiles softly at the beds, running the backs of his fingers over the flowers. He feels connected to Derek in a way that he hasn’t in years, and it’s so easy to get lost in the sensation.

He works alone for over an hour, ignoring the dark sky and the cool breeze that bites at his arms. Then Rylee shows up, and kneels beside him.

He tosses her a small smile and returns to his work. Before she can say anything, he speaks up. “Will you tell me?” Just asking the question makes his eyes prickle with tears and breaks the calm, but he needs to know. “Will you tell me what happened?”

Her expression is all confusion. “What do you mean?”

“What happened to him.” His voice shakes with the questions, but he keeps his hands moving, combing through Derek’s creation.

“Derek?”

That pulls him away from the flowers. He blinks at her. “Yes.”

She looks startled by his question. “Um, I don’t-. I don’t know what you’re talking about.” She swallows. “Nothing happened to Derek.”

He can’t believe it. “You’re lying. Scott felt it when their connection was broken. That’s why we came here. His phone disconnected and their link is gone.”

Rylee’s face flushes. She looks like she’s trying not to laugh. “Oh, God. There’s been a mistake. You think he’s dead?”

“Obviously,” he snaps at her, angry that she seems so amused. “What else would it be? How would the connection be broken otherwise?” _Why else would he ignore me_ , the dark voice in his head whispers. _If he cared as much as you seem to think, why would he ignore me?_

Scott appears and presses against Stiles’ back, steadying him. He must have been listening to their conversation. Some of the betas from the house walk over to the garden too, clearly there to support Rylee. And by their expressions, they’re as curious about the whole thing as Stiles is.

Rylee blushes brighter and buries her face in her hands. It’s the first time that she actually seems like a teenage girl. “No! Derek’s not dead!”

Scott squeezes his best friend’s shoulder and tilts his head to one side. “But then, what happened? Where is he?”

“Right now he’s visiting his sister’s pack in South America. He’s been down there for three months.” She lifts her head to look at him. “They needed some help with their territory and he volunteered to go and help out.” Three months. Derek’s been out of the country for three months. That’s longer than Stiles has been calling and leaving voicemails. 

“Okay. But my link with him broke.”

She nods, “Right. Because he’s not a part of your pack anymore. He’s a part of ours. About six months ago we were attacked. It made sense, we weren’t really a pack because we didn’t have an alpha. We were just a bunch of wolves living in the same house. It should have been easy for an alpha to show up and make us a part of their pack and thus gain our power. But we didn’t want to go with him and Derek wasn’t about to let us be taken against our will. So he challenged him. Derek won.”

“He’s an alpha now,” Stiles breaths. _He’s not dead. He’s not dead._

Her eyes flash. “He’s our alpha.”

_He’s not dead. Derek’s not dead._

“And I can explain the phone too. When the pack was established he got a new phone. His was really outdated and needed to be replaced. But he didn’t want to get rid of the other one, seeing as it was the only way you could reach him. So he kept both. He never left the house without the old one, just in case. But when he went to South Africa he didn’t see the point in taking it with him. It didn’t have international calling, so even if you did call he wouldn’t have been there to pick up. So he left it here.

“Of course, about a week after he left, it rang. None of us knew what to do about it. So we decided that we would leave it alone. It seemed too private to get involved with. But then when it was ringing one night, Cole and Logan got ahold of it, and decided to play with it. They broke it before Seth could take it from them. Which is why it was disconnected; it seemed pointless to continue to pay for it to be on if it wouldn’t work. Our plan was to tell Derek what had happened when he got back, and then he would call you on his new phone. But well, then you showed up. And now we’re here.”

_Derek’s not dead. Derek’s not dead._

Scott’s grip tightens. “Stiles, are you alright?”

He nods, forcing his breath to even out, using his spark to calm him down even though he wants to panic. He needs to get out of here. This is Derek’s place and he doesn’t deserve to be here. He won’t screw everything up for him again. 

“You look like you’re going to be sick, man,” Scott tells him, like that makes the whiplash better.

“No, I’m alright. I’m glad to hear that he’s not dead and that he’s doing so well.”

Rylee looks like she wants to say something else, but she just shakes her head and says instead, “Why don’t you go and get some sleep? It’s pretty late, and your whole world just got flipped on its head again.”

Stiles allows Scott to pull him to his feet and lead him away from the group of werewolves. He expects everyone to be angry because the only reason he showed up was because he thought Derek was dead, but they all look at him with concern and sympathy.

He doesn’t allow himself to break down, not even when they’re tucked away in their bedroom and Scott asks what’s wrong.

“Shouldn’t it be a good thing that he’s not dead?” He’s sitting on his bed, looking so confused.

Stiles sighs, “It is a good thing, Scott. I’m just tired.”

He looks like he wants to argue, point out that he knows he’s lying because he’s known him for years and knows that something is wrong. Instead he exhales from his nose, making a harsh sound, and crosses his arms. “Fine. Alright. You’re fine, I get it. So what’s our plan now?”

Stiles shrugs, kicking his shoes off. “We go home. That’s all there is to the plan. We came out here to find out what happened to Derek, and we did. There’s no reason to stick around.”

The statement makes Scott angry. “No reason to-. You’re joking right?”

“Scott, drop it.”

“No. Stiles, don’t you see how miserable you are without him? Can’t you see that-.”

“Scott! I said drop it! I’m not arguing with you about this. We’re leaving and that’s final.” Scott makes a wounded face that immediately makes Stiles feel bad. “I’m sorry. Just-. Trust me, alright. I know what I’m doing. Please, just, trust me.”

Scott’s expression softens. “Yeah, okay. I don’t think what you’re doing is right, but I do trust you. Just, promise me that you’ll think about yourself too.”

His concern makes Stiles smile softly. “Sure thing, buddy.”

It’s enough for Scott, who flops down on his own bed and smiles over at Stiles, reminding him of when they were younger and sharing his bed. “Dude, that little girl is screaming for you.”

Stiles blinks. “What?”

“Leanne is trying to get her into bed but she’s refusing. She wants to sleep with you.”

“You’re serious?”

Scott shrugs as best he can while laying down. “Yeah.”

And well, it just feels right to say, “Hey, Leanne. It’s alright, you can bring her up here.”

Scott snorts. “She wants to know if you’re serious about giving in to a six-year-old’s demands.”

“Why wouldn’t I be? I don’t mind sharing. And if it’s going to make her calm down, I don’t see why there’s a problem with it.”

Minutes later, their door opens and Mae burst into the room. There are tears streaming down her face, and she launches herself at Stiles, knocking them both to the bed. “Hey, hey,” he whispers at her. “What’s with these tears, little Miss?”

She shoves her face into the curve of his neck. “Don’t leave, Mr. Stiles.”

His heart breaks. “Hey, sh. Everything’s alright. I’m right here, okay.” He lifts the covers and tucks them in as best as he can while she clings to him. “Sh. Don’t cry, Mae.”

She sniffles. “But the sun isn’t out anymore, so I can be sad.”

He shakes his head and rubs her back. “The sun may not be out anymore, but the moon is. And I think that’s a pretty good reason to smile, don’t you?” He can feel her shake her head. “Well it is, trust me. Don’t you feel the thrum in your blood? Can’t you feel it anchor you?”

She lifts her head up, wiping at her cheeks. “Yeah, I can. So?”

Stiles smiles at her. “The moon is a powerful thing. And she’s beautiful. She’s watching over you, so you shouldn’t be sad.” He knows that across the room Scott is watching him, can feel his gaze. But he keeps his eyes locked with the little girl’s. 

Mae nods slowly. “I guess you’re right. But I don’t want you to leave us.”

His smile turns sad. “Don’t worry about that right now, okay. How about I tell you a story?”

Her little face lights up despite the tears, and she curls herself into his side. Stiles begins retelling the bedtime story that his mother would tell him, weaving together her words and painting the story of a young princess that didn’t want to wait in the tower for a prince to come so she befriended the creatures of the forest and saved herself and ultimately the kingdom. Scott leans back and listens to the story, smiling when he hears the house get quite. Everyone is listening in, falling asleep to the story from Stiles’ past. 

By the time his voice trails off, Mae is breathing softly, Scott is snoring, and the house is silent. Stiles smiles around his own tears, brought on from his mother’s memory. Holding Mae close, he closes his own eyes and drifts off into slumber.

\---------

“Can I talk to you for a minute,” Rick asks Stiles as they finish up breakfast the next morning. The request takes Stiles by surprise, but he nods. Scott tenses up beside him, but Stiles waves away the concern. 

“Why don’t you go pack our bags, buddy. I’m alright here.” Even with that statement, it still takes Scott a moment to nod and drift away.

Rick leads him outside, walking away from the house. It’s obvious that he’s leading them away from the curious listening ears. When they’ve drifted far enough away, he stops and sits on the ground, beckoning Stiles to follow his example.

“I know why you’re leaving,” he says. His eyebrows are drawn together in a way that makes him look angry, but his voice is soft. Stiles has learned that even though Rick has a mean protective streak, the older man is actually a soft guy. “I know what it feels like to think that you’ve ruined everything, to think that you don’t deserve something good.”

“I don’t-.”

“Bull. I know how you’re feeling because I’ve been there myself, kid. So can you please just sit there, shut up, and let me give you some advice?”

Stiles squawks. “Is that how you’re going to talk to your children?”

Rick laughs, his whole body rocking with his amusement. “I don’t know, but you aren’t my kid so it doesn’t matter, now does it?” The quirk of his lips hardens into a serious line. “Derek cares a lot about you.” That makes Stiles flinch. “It took him a while to open up, but when he did it was obvious how he felt about you. I was one of the folks that didn’t think you’d come back, not because I thought that you were heartless or that you didn’t care for him. But I know what guilt feels like and I know how crippling it is. Of course, I kept that opinion to myself. He was already having a hard enough time helping everyone adjust to these new living conditions. But I never thought you would show up here.

“When I was about fifteen, I fell in love.” He smiles sadly thinking about it. “Her name was Natalie, and she was a werewolf from a neighboring pack. I only saw her every few months when our packs would meet up for friendly barbeques. Nothing ever really happened with her for several years though; I was too shy and didn’t know the first thing about approaching her. But then when I was twenty-three, after we had both graduated college, she approached me and asked me out. We had many great years together. But then she got pregnant. I was terrified of being a father, didn’t know the first thing about raising a kid. And even though I was thirty-two and I should have known better, I ran from her and my pack, and I didn’t look back.

“I was running because I was terrified, and I let that control me. I spent over five years wandering around. Now that I think about it, I was probably having some sort of mid-life crisis. And I thought life was great. But then I heard a rumor that my old pack had been attacked.” His expression hardens. Stiles can feel where this is going. “I showed up too late to help anybody. Everyone I loved was dead, including the son that I didn’t stick around to meet. Every day for three years I was guilty that I had left, guilty that I had hurt the people I loved even though it was never my intention. I was the second person that Derek found and I didn’t want to go with him because at that point I still felt bad about what had happened in the past and I didn’t think I deserved to have a pack again. But Derek convinced me, and I left with him and Rylee.

“I’ve learned a lot since I’ve been here. I mean, now I have Sam and I’m ready to be a dad. I have a pack and a home. Sure, the guilt is still there, but it’s not crippling and I’ve learned that life takes us in strange directions sometimes, but we always end up where we need to be. And you’re here now. That’s something to remember.”

He reaches out and pats Stiles’ knee. “Stiles, I know that I’m just some stranger trying to give you advice, but let me tell you that you’re punishing yourself and you have no reason to. I saw how torn up you were when you got the house yesterday. You looked like a man who had lost everything, and I understand now. You looked that way because you thought you had lost Derek. Even when you believed that you didn’t deserve him, your world ended when you thought he was gone. But he isn’t, Stiles. And I can swear to you that he’s not upset about you leaving. He’s waiting for you to come back. I know that it’s a lot to take in, and I’m not saying that you need to stay here and wait for him. All I’m saying is that the door is always open for you, and maybe you should consider using it. We have a good thing over here. Sure, sometimes it’s hard, but it’s family. Derek considers you a part of his family. I consider you a part of this family now. And family is important.”

Stiles is staring at him, jaw dropped. Everything that Rick mentioned about how he was feeling is true. He thinks about it every day, thinks about Derek every day. But it just doesn’t seem right for him to step back into his life again.

He looks down at his hands, staring at the lifelines, remembering how Derek would hold them up to his mouth and kiss each finger, the corners of his eyes crinkling with each movement. “I can’t stay here,” he whispers.

In his peripheral, he sees Rick nod. “I know that. Just don’t think you can’t come back.”

They sit there together silently, each of them thinking about their pasts and their futures. Stiles finally grins, hoping to dispel the pent up tension between them. “You know what, I think you’re going to be a great dad for what it’s worth.”

Rick puffs out his chest. “Thank you. It’s worth a lot, kid.” He pats his leg again. “Come on then, we should get back to the house so you can get to the airport.”

They both rise, but before they can start walking, Rick pulls him into a hug. When Stiles makes a questioning sound, he laughs. “It’s like I said, I consider you part of the family, part of the pack. And you should really know by now that we wolves are touchy people.” Stiles laughs at that, allowing the older man to scent mark him until he’s content. “There we go, that should drive Scott crazy.”

Surprisingly the joke and the conversation with Rick make Stiles feel better. It makes leaving the house easier (even though Mae chokes up and won’t tell him goodbye). As he’s leaving he gives Rick his cell phone number and asks that he text when Derek gets back. Some of the werewolves give him weird looks at the request (including Scott and Rylee), but Rick just smiles and promises to do just that. Corbin gives him a small wolf figurine that he carved out of wood and painted a vibrant pink, Sam kisses his cheeks, and Lucy pats his head affectionately. And then Scott and Stiles are driving to the airport again and leaving everything behind.

\----------

It takes three days before Stiles’ dad yells at him for being so anxious, but Stiles can’t help it. Ever since he left the house, Rick’s words have echoed in his head. Just thinking about it gives him the urge to hop in his car and drive all the way back out there. He was only at the house for two days, but he already misses it. He misses Mae and Rylee, wants to get to know more about Corbin and Lucy, wants to play with Seth’s kids and take some of the weight off his shoulders. But most of all, he really wants to see Derek.

He spends a lot of time out in the yard playing with Kojo, trying to expel his pent up energy. It doesn’t really work, but they both get good work outs from it.

Stiles gets the text from Rick a week and a half later, and all it says is _Derek’s home._ Instead of making him feel bad, the message makes Stiles walk around for two days smiling like a fool. Finally, John has enough of the strange behavior. He sits his son down and demands to know what’s going on. And Stiles tells him.

“I just don’t know if I have a place there,” he admits in a small voice. “Or maybe I don’t know if I want a place there.”

John snorts. “Oh please. The only thing you ever talk about these days is Derek and that pack of his.”

“Yeah, but-.”

“Son,” he cuts off. “Do you want to know what I think? I think that you want a place there, felt at home there, but you’re afraid, though I don’t quite know what of. Because I’m pretty damn sure you’re not worried about Derek rejecting you, and if that is what’s holding you back then you’re just being ridiculous.”

Stiles is quite for a long moment, staring at the table he grew up with. “I guess I’m just worried that I’ll mess it up again,” he admits finally. “Or maybe I’m worried that I won’t.”

John shakes his head. “Stiles, when you and Derek first started going out, I thought you were crazy. Hell, I thought you both were. But then I noticed the way that he looked at you and the way that you talked to him, and it made a lot more sense. I knew that it wasn’t going to be easy for you, and I can’t say I was all that surprised when you left him. You’ve always been a wanderer kid. But I always thought you would go back to him.”

Stiles voice is small when he says, “So did I.”

“Okay. Well I guess the real question here is, do you still love him?”

He doesn’t even have to think about it. “Yes. Completely.”

John smiles. “Then what the hell are you doing sitting at my table, kid?”

His hands clench. “But what about you and Melissa. I don’t want to leave you.”

“We’ll be fine here without you, and I know that you’ll visit. I never expected you to stay in this town forever, even before Scott was bit and everything happened.” He leans across the table, making sure that he has all of his son’s attention. “Listen to me. Love is a precious thing. You thought you had lost Derek once for good, and now you have a second chance with him. You love him. So what are you waiting for? There’s nothing to be afraid of.”

Stiles blinks back tears and stands to give his dad a hug. “You’re right.”

\----------

He has Scott watch Kojo when he leaves, knowing that the little pup will be good in his best friend’s hands. As soon as Scott found out what he was doing, he had beamed like the sun and pulled him in for an extended hug, slapping him on the back when they finally parted. It made Stiles feel good, reminded him that Scott was always looking out for him and his best interests and always would be.

“Don’t let me run away again,” Stiles says.

Scott just laughs. “Sure thing, Buddy.”

Kira rolled her eyes at the both of them. “Don’t be silly, Stiles. You won’t run away for him, not again. Not when you know what life is without him.” And well, Kira has a point. He knows what it’s like to live in a world without Derek (even if he hadn’t actually been dead), and he never wants to experience that again. 

He kisses her cheek. “Thanks, Kira. I’ll be sure to tell Derek you said hello.”

She reaches out and smacks at his shoulder. “You better.”

He kisses Alex, rubs Kojo’s head affectionately, and then he’s waving goodbye and piling into his car for the long drive.

The sun is just setting when he pulls up to the three-story house. Rick and Sam are sitting on the porch. They both smile and wink at Stiles when he stumbles out of the car.

“Where?” He asks, desperation making his hands shake. He’s had several hours to plan out how he wanted to go about this confrontation, but now that he’s standing in front of the house, the only thing that matters is finding Derek.

“The garden.”

Stiles rushes through the house and pushes into the backyard, seeking out a familiar form. Sure enough, Derek’s standing beside his flowers, eyes tracking Stiles as he comes closer. They watch each other for a drawn out moment, silently assessing. Derek doesn’t really look any older, but he looks more grounded.

Stiles moves first, exhaling “Derek,” before stumbling into outstretched arms. Derek brushes his cheek against Stiles’ neck and holds him close, his eyes drifting shut as they press together. “Derek, I-.” He pulls back, but only far enough to pepper little kisses across the older man’s face, relieved when he isn’t pushed away. “I’m so sorry,” he whispers into each kiss. 

“Sh,” Derek says, drawing his body in closer. “I know. I know. I understand.”

“No, please. Just let me-. I meant to come back, Derek. I always meant to come back.”

“And you did.” Derek runs a hand down Stiles’ cheek, so loving and gentle it almost hurts. “Stiles, you did come back.”

He holds on to him tightly. “I would like to stay, if it’s alright. I mean, I know that there are probably some things that we need to work out, but-.”

“Stiles.” Hearing him say his voice again makes Stiles tremble. “Of course you can stay here. This is your home too.”

He can’t really help the tears the escape from the corners of his eyes. “I love you.”

Derek smiles, all soft affection. “I know.” Then he draws him forward, and they’re kissing and it feels like no time has passed at all. He means to keep it soft, but the kiss quickly turns into something biting and desperate, Derek tugging at Stiles’ lips with his teeth, Stiles chasing after the taste of Derek’s tongue.

Just as it’s getting to the point where they really should stop (seeing as it is the first time they’ve seen each other in four years and seeing as they’re standing outside in the open) a screech sounds from the back porch.

“Stiles!” Mae, rushes off the porch and charges at them, ignoring Leanne’s muffled curse and the call for her to leave them alone. Stiles untangles himself from Derek just in time to scoop the young girl up into his arms. He runs his nose against her cheek the same way that he’s seen Scott do to Alex. “You came back!”

“Well I couldn’t very well leave you alone, now could I?” When he glances at Derek the werewolf is staring at them with wide eyes and an awed expression.

“I thought you were going to,” she pouts. “But I guess I should have known you would come back for Derek.”

His eyes glisten as he looks between the pair. “And I always will.”

**Author's Note:**

> This was originally very angsty and super sad, but halfway through the plot changed. Hopefully this is a good outcome. I have a sort of epilogue in mind, but I don't know if I will write it.


End file.
